shooting – Christy Grace Scarlet Pen

He snapped his head around the old car and a bullet whipped by his cheek. Pulling back just in time, Oliver breathed in and out as he silently moved his hands in the symbol for a cross.

Lifting his head back up, he raised his own gun, firing at one of the cops who had been chasing him. A sharp pain zipped through his shoulder, and he was pulled back by an unseen force.

Oliver took in deep breaths, watching as the blood started to trickle out onto his pale blue shirt. He wrapped his other hand over the wound, gun starting to slip out of the other.

“Give up Oliver! You’ve been injured, you need a doctor,” one of the cops yelled out to him. He rolled his eyes, checking the area for an escape. He was boxed in. Checking his magazine, he groaned at the sight of the two bullets left. One in chamber, and two in the clip; he had three chances.

“We’ll go on record that you surrendered, it’ll go a long way to make your sentence lighter.”

Oliver exhaled; he knew that wouldn’t make a difference. This was his third time being arrested for armed robbery. As he shifted in his spot, Oliver checked quickly from behind the car. The two cops were closer than they were before. He was out of options.

Phillip and Michael had the suspect cornered; he had nowhere to go. They were trying to talk him into a surrender. At least that would be a more peaceful ending to this chase.

“I can’t go back to jail!” He yelled from behind his barricade.

Michael motioned for them to move closer and they quickly advanced. This showdown was going to end in a few minutes, and Phillip wanted to be on alert.
The smash of a gunshot filled the junkyard and Phillip shared a look with Michael. No bullet had whipped past them, so where did it go?

The realisation crossed their minds at the same time and Phillip frowned as Michael lowered his gun with a shrug. He had killed himself instead of going back to prison.
Slowly, they moved towards the grizzly scene, guns still raised in case.

At the edge of the junkyard car, Phillip took up a positing right behind Michael as he stepped forward. The flash of the pistol felt blinding in slow motion, and Phillip lunged forward. His partner fell to the ground and the suspect jumped up from behind the car.

Phillip fired off three bullets before he could release the trigger, and he watched as the suspect crashed onto the hood of the car. Stuck in place, Phillip waited until he was sure the criminal wasn’t going to move, then he turned.

Michael held the place in his chest where the bullet landed, breathing heavily, “Lucky I was wearing my vest.”

Thanks for reading this short story! Keep checking back for more stories, adventures and general wonderings.

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace

Your Briefing:
Hannah Carmichael is a Super Spy, who was trying to take down CGT – the evil spy agency of which she used to be a part of. Her husband Zeke, was secretly working to take them down as well, and roped Hannah and her fellow agent (and best friend) Stephanie, into the fight.
Hannah’s mother Evelyn was a known terrorist and CGT enemy, but now seems to have been on the same side all along. Her Father James, was believed to be dead and missing for over a decade, but has now shown up from his fight in the shadows to help take them down once and for all.
Hannah woke up without her memory, and is now relying on her family to help find her way back and stop CGT.
With a World War III event called ‘Cataclysm’ on the horizon, and Hannah trying to fight, and regain her memories, what will she and her team find out, and how will they stop CGT?

SIXTY-THREE

Even though she had been through a 24-hour cycle of re-training at the safe house, she still felt uneasy as they walked closer to the podium.
Hannah scanned the crowd. She was still uncertain of who, or what she was supposed to be looking for.

Zeke turned, and the sight of his face brought another flash of a memory fragment through her thoughts. Standing back to back, guns pointed at unknown, armed suspects.

Hannah shook her head and Zeke quickly scanned the strangers which surrounded them. “Are you okay?” he asked, lifting her head to look into her eyes. Hannah shrugged, “another memory flash. It’s no biggie,” she said as she pulled backwards. Zeke frowned and straightened his shoulders, clearing his throat. “The press conference is the perfect place for CGT to put Cataclysm into effect.” He turned and started walking again, checking his surroundings as they moved through the crowd.

“Sending missiles which are supposedly from each country into the other, should do the trick to start a war.” Hannah sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, staring at it. They’d cut it shorter and died it a dark chocolate brown, but the face in the mirror looked just as foreign as before. The two women that she’d been rescued with were on different assignments, and Hannah groaned as a tall man in the crowd shoved past her.

Zeke reached out his hand and pulled her towards the media check in desk. “Elliot and Maya from The Morning Gazette,” he said to the volunteer. She checked the list and nodded, ticking the names off. Hannah followed Zeke to a chair in the second row. “Elliot and Maya?” she asked, as he sat beside her.

Zeke grinned. “You used to find it amusing to use names from films, TV or books when you went undercover.”

Hannah chuckled softly and shook her head; A list of possible names flashing through her memory. “I guess so. Where are these names from?”

Zeke glanced at her, then back to the crowd. “Just Shoot Me. A TV show about magazine workers. Ironic, as we’re supposed to be from a newspaper.” He smiled, then pointed at a small stage in the middle of the press chaos. “Check it out.”

Hannah watched, as several men and one woman walked out onto the stage.

The crowd stood, buzzing as the woman approached the podium. She tapped the microphone and feedback screeched. Looking around her, she cleared her throat. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming. This press conference shows what diplomacy and communication can accomplish when countries put their differences aside, and work together.”

Hannah zoned out the woman’s words, and looked from one leader to the other. Both seemed on edge, and her gut was telling her something was wrong, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

She scanned the crowd then turned back to the stage, watching both leaders. They were facing each other, and shaking hands, smiling for cameras as they clicked and flashed.

Hannah reached for Zeke’s arm to share her concern.

As she made contact, loud shots echoed through the crowd.

Authors Note:
Thanks for reading the latest instalment of the Hannah Carmichael Chronicles! Hannah will be back Soon for the next part of her adventure – we both look forward to seeing you there!
CHRISTY GRACE